Paradise Lost
by transatlanticbanana
Summary: Life was strange. One moment you're a successful E.R. doctor with a loving husband and a baby on the way. The next you're shacking up with a crossbow toting ex-convict after breaking into a prison. Sequel to Humanity in Focus. Daryl/OC rated M for mature content.
1. Rabbit Hole

**Hey guys, I know I haven't posted in ages. I'm really sorry about that but don't fear! I haven't given up on this story yet. I was just going through some major writer's block along with a few surgeries and a new job. D: Anywho, I've decided to change things up by separating season three into a new story. Don't worry I'm not just posting an old chapter, I wouldn't do that to you guys. Also hello to any new readers who might have stumbled on this story first. I would recommend going on my profile and reading Humanity in Focus first. This story will make much more sense that way. Enjoy!  
**

* * *

Hope waited anxiously as Daryl, Rick, Carl and T-Dog scouted the empty house. She waited with Glenn and Maggie for the signal that it was safe to go in through the back door. From there she would search out what supplies she could. Sure enough moments later Carl tapped on the window. Glenn led the way into the house, Hope brought up the rear. They split up to cover more ground. Hope went into the parlor and searched through the bookcases just in case, a few houses back she'd lucked out and found a book on natural childbirth and parenting. Upstairs she heard Daryl's familiar whistle and allowed the tension in her shoulders to ease.

She quickly walked up the stairs and went into one of the bedrooms. Cautiously she opened the door and looked inside. She looked behind the door and when she found nothing she quickly began to look around the room. Hope sighed in frustration when she found nothing. Running a hand through her hair she tossed the empty box she had picked up to the side. Hope froze when she heard a thud. Looking up she heard it again coming from the closet. Hope stood up slowly and gripped her axe in her hand. Stepping carefully she walked to the closet door and held the doorknob. Taking a deep breath she opened the door. A walker turned around and snarled at her. Hope swung her axe, the blow connected with the walker's forehead stopping it in its tracks. Hope grunted as she pulled her weapon from the walker's skull. She made a noise of disgust as she wiped her axe on the walker's clothes. Glancing briefly around the closet Hope grabbed a sweater that seemed to be her size. Downstairs Rick whistled to Lori and the others that it was safe to come inside.

The group was silent as they set down their things. Once, what seemed like a lifetime ago Hope had found silence comforting, now it was a painful reminder of how grim their circumstances were. There wasn't much to talk about anymore.

Hope helped Lori lower herself to the ground. The woman was heavily pregnant and due any day now. Hope bit her lip nervously, when Lori went into labor she would be expected to help Hershel deliver the baby. She wasn't sure she was ready for it, hell she wasn't sure Lori was ready for it. She'd been having some anxiety about it and had shared her fears with Hershel. Hershel had assured both women that when the time came, they would all be ready and the baby would be fine. Not that it mattered if they were ready, she mused. The baby was coming whether they were ready or not.

Daryl walked into the parlor plucking what seemed to be an owl. Hope tried not to show how grossed out she was. Since the breakout Hope had eaten a lot of things she was sure she wouldn't have before. Daryl assured her that one day she would get used to it. Apparently that day wasn't today. Hope sat next to him and watched with morbid fascination as he plucked out its feathers. Daryl glanced at her before pretending to throw the bird at her. Hope squeaked and ducked her head. Daryl snorted and went back to plucking the owl. Hope lightly punched his arm.

Carl walked into the parlor holding a can of something. He opened it using a can opener from one of the bags and Hope could see that it was dog food. The group watched as Carl opened the can, no one said anything. They all felt the pains of hunger, they all knew what it felt like to eat but never feel full. Had it really come to this? Rick turned around and watched Carl. Angrily he took the can from Carl and threw it across the room. Hope flinched as the can hit the fire place. Carl stared down at the floor; Hope reached across and squeezed his hand. The gesture brought a small smile into his face.

T-Dog made a small noise of warning as he jerked his head towards the window. Hope craned her neck to peer out of the window and saw walkers approaching the house. Hope's stomach tightened. While the presence of walkers no longer filled her with the cold dread it once did, anxiety tightened her stomach all the same.

Everyone moved quickly as they left through the back door. They had gathered all the supplies they could from this house and the homes around it. The process was quick and efficient, perfected over the winter months.

They packed the cars quickly and drove off. Hope looked back to see the group of walkers trailing in their wake. The car pulled to a stop after driving for a few miles. Glenn pulled out the map and set it on the hood of his car. Carl and Beth stood watch as everyone else poured over the maps looking for their next destination.

"There's nowhere left to go," T-Dog said.

"When this herd meets up with this one we'll be cut off," Maggie pointed to two red marks on the map. "We'll never make it south."

"What'd you say; it was about a hundred and fifty head?" Daryl asked Glenn, leaning on the hood.

"That was last week; it could be twice that by now."

"This river could have delayed them; we might have a shot to tear right through this." Hershel suggested.

"Yeah but if this group joins with that one, they could spill out this way." T-Dog pointed out.

"So we're blocked." Maggie said.

Hope tuned out the rest of the conversation, content to let the others decide which direction they should go in. She walked over to Lori, who had stayed in the car. "How are you feeling?"

"I've had better days."

"Yeah," Hope motioned to her protruding belly. "May I?"

"Sure."

Hope felt around the stomach the way Hershel had taught her. She nodded to herself, nothing seemed wrong. Without an ultrasound machine it was difficult to tell but so far the pregnancy had gone well.

Lori sighed and closed her eyes. Hope looked down. She knew how difficult this pregnancy was for Lori. It wasn't because of the walkers either. Rick and Carl barely spoke to her and when they did betrayal laced every word. Hope took Lori's hand. "Here, feel this. That's the head."

Lori let Hope guide her hand around her stomach, showing her where each part of her baby was. She appreciated the gesture. It seemed that only Hope and Carol had a kind word for her nowadays. Everyone else treated her like she had the plague or was a nuisance. Worst of all, Lori missed her family. She wasn't sure she would ever get them back. It hurt so much to have them so close, yet to her they were miles away. Lori blinked back tears. "Damn hormones," she said wiping them away.

Hope smiled sadly, "If you ever need me, I'm right here. For anything."

Lori gripped the younger woman's hand. "Thank you. Thank you so much for everything you've done."

"Anytime."

"Come on!"

Hope started at Rick's voice. Alarmed, she looked around for any sign of danger. Lori gripped her hand tight. Seeing none, she patted Lori's hand. "I'm gonna see what's going on."

Lori nodded and released her hand.

"What's going on?" Hope asked, walking towards Rick.

"There's a prison up ahead."

"A prison?" Maggie asked. "So what?"

"I think we should check it out."

"Want me and Glenn to do a run?"

"No, we stay together. We'll check it out, see if it's worth taking a look at. Let's move."

Everyone began to pack up things and get into the cars, no one questioned Rick's decision. No had for a long time.

Hope looked around warily as Daryl clipped the fence. There were walkers everywhere, the sound of the snarls echoing across the empty yard. Glenn held one against the fence with his shovel as Maggie smashed its head with her hammer. Daryl went through the whole he'd made and Glenn followed him. Hope squeezed through the whole in the fence after Lori. T-Dog was the last to come in before Glenn began to mend the fence with some wire.

Daryl led the way through walkway separating the outside world from the prison. Walkers crowded the fence, drawn in by the scent of warm flesh. They reached the end of the walkway and Rick dropped the bag of weapons. Hope set down her medical bag.

"It's perfect," Rick said. "If we seal that gate and prevent more from coming in, we can clear this field out by nightfall."

"So how do we shut the gate?" Hershel asked.

"I'll do it, you guys cover me." Glenn volunteered.

"No," Maggie told him. "Suicide run."

"I'm the fastest."

"No," Rick disagreed. "You and Maggie are going to draw as many of them over there, pop em' through the fence. Daryl go back to the other tower. Carol you've become a pretty good shot take your time we don't have a lot of ammo to waste. Hershel you and Carl take this tower. I'll run for the gate."

"You shouldn't go alone," Hope protested. "I'll go with you."

"No."

"Yes," Hope crossed her arms. "If you get swarmed you're going to need back up. No one is going to be able to reach you in time from here."

Rick shook his head. "Fine, but I'll take point. If I go down, don't be a hero get the hell out of there."

Hope nodded. "Understood, same goes for you."

Rick nodded.

The others began to draw the walkers away. Lori held the gate and at Rick's signal she opened it. Rick ran, Hope right behind him. They jogged up the winding path to the gate, killing walkers in their way. Hope stopped abruptly as walker fell right in front of her, an arrow protruding from its skull. They reached the fence and Rick kicked a walker that tried to go through. Hope helped him slide the gate closed. Rick used two large carabineers to hook the gate to the adjacent fence. Meanwhile, Hope shot any walkers that got too close. Rick opened the door to the tower that was closest to them and shot a walker that was in the doorway. Hope closed the door behind her, seconds before four walkers began to pound on it. Rick shot two more walkers that were on the stairs. They reached the balcony.

"Light it up!" Daryl yelled.

Everyone pulled out their guns and began to fire on the walkers in the yard. Rick looked over and smiled at Hope. Hope smiled back, for the first time in a long time Hope could see a light at the end of the tunnel. A few minutes later the final shot rang through the yard as Rick took down the last walker. He patted Hope on the shoulder and walked back downstairs. Hope took one last look at the yard before following him.

* * *

The sun set and the group sat down for dinner. Rick walked the fence while Daryl held watch at the entrance. On Rick's third time around Hope went to talk to him.

"Penny for your thoughts?" She said as she approached him.

Rick didn't turn at the sound of Hope's voice. "I was wondering when you'd turn up."

"Just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine."

Hope stared at the walkers growling just a few feet away, the thin metal fence the only barrier between her and them.

"I want to take the prison."

"Do you think we can do it?"

"I know we can, we have to." Rick looked at her. "We can fortify this place, secure it, make it a home. This is what I've been searching for. We can't keep running from place to place. We have to start thinking about our future. We need a place we can hunker down. There should be food, medical supplies, and weapons. Everything we need is right inside this prison."

Hope crossed her arms against the night chill. "We just have to get in first."

"We will."

That night Hope tossed and turned. She couldn't seem to get comfortable. Frustrated she sat up and ran a hand through her hair. Quietly she stood and wound her way through the sleeping bodies. Maybe a walk would calm her restless mind. Grabbing her axe from the pile of weapons, she walked aimlessly through the yard. Heading towards the overturned bus that now served as a blockade she climbed up and sat on it. She folded her knees and rested her head on them. The axe lay beside her.

"Hey."

Hope looked back and saw Daryl climbing up.

He took a seat next to her. "Can't sleep?"

Hope shook her head. "Did I wake you?"

"I'm a light sleeper."

"Sorry."

"It's all right." Daryl laid back and stared at the sky. "You okay?"

"I think so."

Daryl nodded. "You afraid?"

"No." Daryl tugged on Hope's shirt. Hope lay back so that her head was pillowed on his chest, tucked beneath his chin. "Have you ever read Alice in Wonderland?"

"Naw," Daryl shook his head. "I saw the movie though."

Hope lifted her head and stared at him in surprise.

"What?"

"All this time and you can still surprise me."

"You bet your ass I can. What about it?"

"Sometimes I feel like her, Alice. Like I fell asleep and I'm in some strange dream. Sometimes I feel like I'm waiting to wake up."

"Yeah, I get that." Daryl was quiet for a few minutes. "Do you miss it?"

"What?"

"Before...your old life."

"No, not really, I don't remember much of it. Bits and pieces but it seems so long ago you know, miles away. When I think back it's like watching a movie. It doesn't feel real, it doesn't feel like it belongs to me. It belongs to someone else, someone that died a long time ago."

"I don't miss it. In a way, I guess I'm glad this all happened."

Hope nodded. "Me too."

"If this hadn't happened, you know. We…" Daryl trailed off.

"I know." The words didn't need to be said. They were both aware of how far apart their lives had been, how unlikely it was for their paths to have crossed.

"Do you think we can do it? Take the prison?"

Daryl nodded. "If Rick says we can do it, then we can do it. He's kept us alive this long. You ready?"

Hope thought for a moment then nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready." She smirked. "Down the rabbit hole we go."


	2. Wounds

**Okie dokie here's a brand new chapter just like I promised. I'm on a bit of a roll so hopefully the next chapter will be done fairly soon. I'm a bit nervous to be back in the saddle. Hopefully I'm not as rusty as I think I am. As always I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

"All right we've got one shot at this, so let's do this right. Daryl, T-Dog, Maggie and Glenn are with me. The rest of you will draw attention from behind the fence." Turning to the group that was going into the prison Rick looked each of them in the eyes. "We stay together, no one goes off alone. No one tries to be a hero. Don't break rank."

The others nodded their assent.

"Let's go."

Daryl spared Hope one last glance before he followed Rick to the fence. Hope smiled despite how worried she was. He was always strong for her and whenever the shoe was on the other foot, Hope tried to be strong for him.

The gate was closed as quickly as it was opened. The small group moved cautiously through the courtyard. Hope along with the Lori, Hershel, Carl and Beth rattled the fence and tried to gain as much attention from the walkers inside the courtyard as possible. Though the group moved slowly it was a matter of minutes before they were of out sight. Anxiety tightened the pit of her stomach. Carl looked up at Hope. She squeezed his shoulder and gave him her best smile.

"Where are they going?"

Hope looked up at Beth's question. Rick was leading the group up some stairs. "They're going into the prison."

"What for? The courtyard looks clear." Carl asked.

"I'm not sure," Hope answered truthfully knowing Carl would see through her if she lied. "I'm sure your Dad has a good reason. Don't worry he knows what he's doing."

Carl examined her closely for a minute. Hope did her best to look confident. After a moment Carl nodded and went back to gazing out into the courtyard. Hope let out a small breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. Hershel gave her a small nod. Hope smiled slightly in return.

A long time after Rick came jogging down the stairs. Hershel opened the gate for him. Immediately Rick was bombarded with questions from the group.

He raised his hands in the air as if he could physically hold back the tide of questions. "All right, all right simmer down. We cleared out a cell block; we just have to get rid of the bodies. The others are handling that now. Once we do that we can start moving our stuff in."

"Is it safe? Is it secure?" Carol asked.

Rick nodded. "It is."

A murmur of approval went through the group.

"Okay, let's start getting our things out of the cars and bringing them in."

A short time later Hope found herself sitting on a paper thin cot in a cramped cell in the recently cleared out cell block. Hope bounced on the cot a few times and winced when the mattress springs dug into her bottom. Staring at the small space she sighed. While it certainly wasn't ideal it she was glad to have a place to rest her head.

"Hey."

Hope smiled brightly. "Hey, what's up?"

"Nothing," Daryl replied his lips twitching into a small smile. It was hard not to when Hope was beaming at him the way she was.

Hope shifted over and patted the mattress. Accepting the silent invitation Daryl sat down next to her. He put his arm around her and pulled her closer.

"Have you picked out a cell yet?"

Daryl snorted. "No."

"You might be more comfortable." Hope suggested.

"I doubt that. Last time I was in one of these it wasn't all that comfortable."

Hope raised her head from his shoulder. "Last time huh?"

Daryl grunted in response.

"You're just full of surprises aren't you? Hope rested her head on his shoulder. Hope let a small sigh. "This is weird."

"No shit."

"You should get some rest while you can. I think Rick is going to clear out more of the prison later."

"Yeah," Daryl nodded but made no move to get up.

They sat in silence for a few moments. Hope took a deep breath. "We could share."

"Share?" Daryl echoed.

"Yeah, I mean you could take the bottom bunk and I'll take the top or whatever. I know it's a small space but I'm sure we could make it work, I mean…" Hope trailed off. Daryl was looking at her as if she had just started speaking a foreign language. "What?"

"You wanna share a cell…with me?"

"Um, yes?" Hope squeaked. "It's okay if you don't want to. I completely understand." She backpedaled.

Hope found her confidence shrinking with each passing moment as Daryl didn't answer her. Her heart dropped a little when he stood up and walked out of the cell. Had she gone too far? Was it too much? When they had started their…relationship of sorts Hope had thought her issues would be the main problem. She hadn't accounted for the multitude of emotional baggage Daryl carried with him.

Hope dropped her head into her hands. Her mind was racing with possible solutions on how to fix the mistake she just made. She was so busy thinking that she didn't notice Daryl return until he dropped his bag in a corner opposite the bunk. Startled by the noise Hope looked up at him. "What are you doing?"

"Moving my shit into my cell," He said nonchalantly like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why?"

"You asked me to share didn't you or did you change your mind already?" Hope blinked. "But…"

"Do you want me here or not?" He huffed crossing his arms over his chest.

"I-I-I, uh yes."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Nothing."

"Good. Scoot over I'm tired." Daryl stretched his arms up and yawned. When Hope didn't move he rolled his eyes. "What now?"

"Isn't the bed a little small?" She squeaked.

"So, this isn't the first time we've slept together."  
Hope blushed at his statement. She knew what he meant but her mind conjured up a completely different scenario. "I know but this is different, isn't it?"

Daryl looked at her blankly.

"I guess not." Hope swallowed and moved over. She lay on her side facing the wall. A moment later she felt the bed dip and then Daryl's arm wrapped around her waist. His breath fanned the back of neck.

Hope marveled at the series of events that led her to her current predicament. Life was strange like that. One minute you're an ER doctor with a loving husband and a child on the way and the next minute you're shacking up with a crossbow toting ex-convict. As Daryl's warmth seeped into her tired bones, Hope decided she wouldn't want to be anywhere else. With that thought she softened the tension in her body and he pulled her closer. Hope's eyelids fluttered. Her last thoughts were of safety and warmth.

* * *

"Thank you Hershel."

Hope paused just outside of Lori's cell. Carol had asked that she go and check on Lori. Hope wasn't sure what was wrong but whatever it was it worried Carol and Lori and that was enough to worry her.

Hope was torn from her thoughts when Hershel emerged from the cell. He gave her a warm smile. "Hope, it's good that you're here."

"Is something wrong? The baby?"

"Everything's fine," Hershel said. He gently ushered her farther away from the cell. "I want you to keep an eye her. She's under a lot of stress." He said in a low voice.

"What do you want me to do? I can get my bag…"

"She doesn't need a doctor Hope; she needs a friend, someone to hold her hand."

"You think I should be the one? She and Carol are a lot closer."  
"True but I think you're better suited for the job."

"Why?"

"Because Rick trusts you and Carl looks up to you. She needs to know she's not being replaced."

Hope blanched. "I-I'm not trying to replace anyone."

"I know that, we all do. Your Rick's confidant, Carl's too. Maybe you can be that for Lori."

"I'm not a therapist Hershel."

"No, but you're a good listener and sometimes that's all a person needs. We've leaned on your shoulder at one time or another. Like it or not but you're the one we go to when we need someone to listen. That's all I'm asking you to do Hope. Listen."

Hope nodded. "I can do that."

"Good. I need to get going."

"Good luck."

"Same to you." Hershel trotted down the stairs to meet with the others going further into the prison.

Hope took a steadying breath and knocked gently against the wall. "Hi."

Lori wiped her eyes. "Hi."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Hershel checked me out, we're both fine."

"Good," Hope walked over and sat next to the pregnant woman. "That's good."

An awkward silence descended when that Hope wasn't sure how to break. She sighed softly. It wasn't like she'd never spoken to Lori before. Then again as she thought back to their previous conversations, Hope had been more concerned about the woman's physical health than her mental state of being.

"Hope," Carl called out as he hovered outside the door.

"Hey," Hope smiled warmly. "What's up?"

"They're about to leave."

Hope stood and offered Lori her arm. The other woman took it gratefully. Hope stood at the balcony and looked down at the group. The cell block gate was opened and the group trailed out. Daryl looked up and Hope gave him a small wave. He gave a sharp nod before leaving and closing the gate behind him.

Lori went back into her cell. Hope's heart broke a little for the woman. She looked so lost and alone.

"Hey Lori, I'm gonna go get some fresh air would you like to come?"

"Yeah, I think that would do me some good."

The two women slowly made their way out of the prison and into the front courtyard. They stopped just a few feet shy of the gate. Hope tilted her head back and soaked in the sun's rays.

"It's strange, isn't it?"

Hope looked over at Lori.

"Sometimes when things are quiet like this, it's almost like nothing's changed you know."

"Yeah, it's so peaceful."

Lori looked down at the ground. "Everything's changed… it's never going to be like it was."

Hope put an arm around Lori's shoulders. "They'll come around."

"I really wish I believed that but there's just too much in the way."

"You made some mistakes, we all have. The only thing you can do now is move forward. Let the past stay where it is. You have so much to look forward to."

"This baby isn't going to solve all of my problems Hope."

"No, but I think it will help bring you closer to Rick and Carl. A new life is a good thing."

"Maybe or maybe I'm condemning an innocent baby to this hell."

Hope looked down, "Either way this baby is coming whether you're ready or not."

"I miss my family." Lori choked out a small sob.

"You'll get them back," Hope squeezed Lori tighter and prayed that her words didn't sound as hollow as they felt.

* * *

The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon casting an orange glow on Hope's cell. Hope lay down on her bunk staring up at the ceiling. It had been a few hours since Daryl and the others had gone further into the prison. Try as she might Hope still worried. Even after all of the other times Daryl had gone off into a deadly situation and come out unscathed. In her heart Hope knew that Daryl would always do his best to come back to her but sometimes no matter how hard you tried things didn't go as planned.

Hope huffed and turned on her side. She hoped they returned soon so she could finally relax and get some sleep.

Hope's eyes fluttered as she dozed lightly, the sounds of quiet conversation downstairs lulling her further into sleep.

"Open the gate!"

Hope bolted up from her bed at the sound of Rick's voice. Panicked she ran downstairs in time to see Hershel being carried in. Blood sprayed onto the floor from what used to be Hershel's leg.

"Daddy, what happened to him?!" Beth shrieked.

"He got bit." Rick told her. "I cut off his leg to stop it from spreading."

"Lay him down on the bed." Hope told Rick after recovering from the initial shock. All business now she immediately checked Hershel's pulse. Hope frowned as it fluttered weakly against her finger tips.

"We need bandages," Carol told her.

"We used everything we had." Glenn replied.

"Well get more!"

"Carl go get the towels by my bed." Lori said. Turning to Beth she put a comforting hand on her face. "He's gonna be just fine."

Hope frowned. "We need to stop the bleeding but I don't have any equipment to do that."

"Can we cauterize the wound?" Glenn asked.

Hope shook her head.

"No the shock could kill him besides it wouldn't stop the arteries from bleeding." Carol answered.

"As long as we keep his wound dressed and clean he should heal." Hope tried to sound certain but she wasn't sure if she succeeded.

Carl scurried in with his hands full of towels. Hope grabbed a few and began wrapping them around the bleeding stub. Once Hope had bound the wound as much as possible she stepped back.

"What can we do?" Rick asked her.

"Nothing at this point, we'll keep his leg elevated above his heart and let his body do the rest. He's been showing you a few things about first aid right?"

Carol nodded.

"Good, I'll show you a bit more. Lori you took a first aid class too right?"

"Yeah."  
"Okay that's good. I want one of us to be with him at all times. We'll work in shifts. If anything happens that you guys don't know how to handle call me immediately." _Hopefully I'll be able to handle it_, she thought to herself.

"So what now?" Maggie asked.

"We wait. Those towels are going to have to be changed in a while."

The commotion outside caught the attention of the cell's occupants.

"Who is that?" Beth asked fearfully.

"Prisoners they've been hiding out in the cafeteria." Rick replied, pulling his gun from its holster.

Hope's brow furrowed, the last thing they needed right now were some strangers causing trouble. Hershel groaned in his sleep. Hope soothed his brow with her hand, accidentally smearing some blood on his forehead. Lori wiped it off.

Hope wiped some sweat from her brow with her forearm. The bleeding had slowed significantly but showed no sign of stopping anytime soon. The commotion had stopped a while back and now only the sound of Hershel's labored breathing filled the cell.

Hope felt her eyelids begin to droop.

Carol shook her gently "Hey, we've got this for now. Why don't you go get some sleep?"

Hope looked down at Hershel. "I should keep an eye on him."

"You'll be of no use if you're exhausted, go rest for an hour and then come back refreshed. We'll let you know if something happens."

Hope wanted to argue but she was too tired to. The adrenaline in her system had long worn off leaving her exhausted. Nodding sleepily she shuffled out of the cell and up the stairs to her own.

Flopping down on the bed and taking off her boots. Hope was asleep before her head hit the pillow.


	3. Home

**I told you I would have a new chapter ready in a few days. :) Reviews, favorites, follows give me life. Enjoy!**

* * *

Hope blinked awake at the sound of laughter. It was dark in the cell, the moon's glow the only light. She wiped her eyes and stretched. Grabbing her boots she slid them on without bothering to tie the laces. She reached for the hooded sweater she kept thrown over the top bunk. She slipped on the sweater and jogged down the stairs. The group was crowded around what they had decided would be their cafeteria, outside the gate of the cell block.

She peeked into Hershel's cell and found him sleeping peacefully. She felt his pulse and smiled when it thumped strong and steady against her fingers. She laid the back of her hand against his forehead and was pleased when she felt no fever. Lastly, she checked his dressings and was glad to find the bleeding had finally stopped.

Wrapping her arms around herself she walked over to the group.

Daryl was the first to notice her. He lifted an arm and Hope slid into the space he had created. She rested her head on his shoulder and snuggled into his warmth. Daryl pressed his lips into her hair in response.

"Hershel's doing much better now." Hope commented.

"He hit a rough spot earlier but he woke up a little while ago." Carol responded.

"What do you mean a rough spot?"

"He stopped breathing but Mom did CPR and saved him." Carl chimed in. Glenn nudged him with his elbow. They shared a quick look before Carl looked down sheepishly.

Hope sat up. "He stopped breathing?"

"Yeah it's a good thing Lori acted fast." Glenn scratched the back of his head.

"Why didn't anyone wake me up?"

"We didn't see the use in worrying you." Carol patted Hope's knee. "Lori handled it, besides I don't think we could've wakened you if we wanted to."

"Yeah if your snoring was anything to go by." Daryl said with a small grin.

Hope blushed and punched him in the arm. The group shared a quiet laugh.

Daryl pulled Hope onto his lap and rested his chin on her shoulder.

Hope entwined her fingers with his. "What happened to those prisoners?"

Rick looked around for a moment. "They've been taken care of."

T-Dog cleared his throat. "We cleared out a cell block for them. They gave us half of their food in exchange. They promised to keep to themselves and leave us alone."

Hope shifted nervously. "Can we trust them?"

"Rick made it pretty clear we won't tolerate any visitors."

"Damn right he did," Daryl said lifting his cup to Rick.

"That's good I suppose." Hope still wasn't too sure about their new neighbors but the crisis seemed to have been averted for the time being. She thought it best to keep her worries to herself for now.

The group lingered in the cafeteria long into the night. After the day they all had, no one wanted to break the peaceful camaraderie. It was nice to have everyone together safe and sound. Between the warmth of the fire in a garbage can and the comfort of Daryl's arms, Hope found it hard to keep her eyes open.

It was after the fifth time Hope nodded off that Daryl decided to head to bed. "All right that's enough. You can barely keep your eyes open." He tugged her up from her seat. "Let's go."

Too sleepy to argue, Hope just nodded and shuffled off after him.

"Daryl's got the right idea, we should head to bed. Tomorrow's gonna be a long day." Rick stood up and stretched.

The others rose and went off to their respective cells. Rick held a hand out to Lori. She took it with a small smile. "Thanks."

Rick walked a few feet before stopping suddenly. He turned and walked back to her. Lori looked at him inquisitively.

"Good night Lori," Rick murmured. He placed a gentle kiss to her forehead before walking briskly to his cell.

Lori smiled, blinking back tears. It was the first intimate contact she'd had with Rick since Shane died. Maybe there was hope after all.

* * *

The next week was one of the better weeks they'd had in a while. Hershel was slowly recovering, much to the relief of Beth and Maggie. Lori, Hope and Rick too, seeing as how Lori was ready to give birth any day now. Hope still had some anxiety about it. She wasn't sure she could handle it if Hershel wasn't there. So many things could go wrong and Hope would never forgive herself if she caused the Grimes family any more pain. They'd been through so much already.

"Hey, space cadet. Wake up." Daryl flicked her forehead gently.

Hope swatted his hand away with a smile. "I'm just thinking."

"Okay let's get the other car in. We'll park it in the west entry of the yard." Rick pointed to the west gate.

Rick, Daryl, Carol T-Dog and Hope were moving the cars into the yard along with a few other things that needed to be done to fortify the prison.

"After that we need to load up these corpses so we can burn them."

Hope groaned inwardly, burning dead bodies was the last thing she wanted to do. Daryl patted her on the back.

"It's gonna be a long day." T-Dog said tiredly.

"Where are Glenn and Maggie? We could use their help." Carol asked.

"Up in the guard tower," Daryl pointed to the west tower.

"The guard tower?" Rick furrowed his brow. "They were there last night."

"Glenn! Maggie!" Daryl yelled across the courtyard.

A few seconds later the door to the balcony opened. Glenn stumbled out shirtless, buckling his pants. "Hey, what's up guys?"

"You coming?!"

"What?"

They all giggled at Daryl's question. Hope shook her head.

"Are you coming?!"

Glenn looked at Maggie completely bewildered. This only made the group to laugh harder.

Daryl turned and walked back to get the last car. "Come on! We need your help!" Daryl put an arm around Hope and pressed his lips to her ear. "Now we know where we can go to get some privacy." He let her go with a light push as he got walked towards the last car.

Hope turned bright red and stammered out something unintelligible.

"Rick!" The urgency in T-Dog's tone made Hope look up and Daryl turn around.

Hope's stomach dropped a bit when she saw two prisoners waiting by the fence. What could they possibly want?

Daryl, T-Dog and Rick went up to meet them. After a few tense moments of conversation, the men walked over to Carol and Hope. Daryl locked the prisoners outside of the courtyard before the main gate.

"They want to join our group," Rick said after Glenn and Maggie joined them.

"No way, we're doing just fine on our own." Glenn told him.

T-Dog shook his head. "Are we? We just barely managed this winter. Maybe taking in more people is what we ought to be doing instead of running from everybody we see."

"They're convicts T," Carol crossed her arms over her chest. "Are those really the type of people we should be letting in?"

"They seem like decent guys."

"What if they're just waiting to take our guns and kill us in our sleep?" Rick asked.

"We've worked so hard to build all of this, are you really considering jeopardizing that?" Carol asked.

"I agree, it's been just us for so long. I don't want anyone else in our group." Maggie chimed in.

Carol frowned. "They're convicts bottom line."

"They probably have less blood on their hands then we do." T-Dog pointed out.

Daryl shifted his crossbow slightly. "I get guys like this; I grew up with guys just like them. They're degenerates but they're not psychos. Hell, I had just as much a chance as ending up with them as I did ending up with you."

"So you agree with me?"

"Hell nah, I think we should turn them loose. Let them try their luck out there like we did."

"What I'm saying Daryl-"

"When I was a rookie," Rick cut him off. "I arrested this nineteen year old boy. He was wanted for stabbing his girlfriend. Blubbered like a baby through his interrogation, through the whole trial. Suckered the jury, he was acquitted for insufficient evidence. Two weeks later he shot another girl. We've been through too much. Our deal with them stands."

T-Dog clenched his jaw but stayed silent. The others filed out and went back to what they were doing. Hope lingered a moment longer and gave T-Dog a small hug. "For what it's worth, I agree with you. I don't think those men mean us any harm."

"Not much good saying this now though, is it?"

"No but I'll talk to Rick later, in private. Maybe that will help get him to listen."

At this T-Dog gave her a small smile. Hope did have a way with words. He chalked it up to her being a doctor, good bedside manner and all. "All right, go spin your magic on him. Let me know how it works out."

"You'll be the first to know."

* * *

Hope couldn't seem to get a minute alone with Rick. After her third attempt was interrupted she gave up and decided to try a little later when things calmed down a bit.

Hope stopped for a moment to catch her breath. She'd been in Georgia almost a year now and she still couldn't get used to the heat. It was a source of infinite amusement for the rest of the Georgia natives. Even Glenn who was a certified city dweller like herself still made fun of her for it, like now.

"Hey Hope don't pass out yet, we still have bodies to burn!"

Hope responded with a not so polite hand gesture. This only caused Glenn to smile wider. Daryl guffawed somewhere off to her right.

"Actually I'm gonna go check on Hershel for a minute, see how he's holding up!"

"That's a good idea; get some lunch for us too!" Glenn yelled back.

Hope breathed a sigh of relief when she was out of the hot sun. There wasn't any relief from the sweltering heat, there never was since there was no electricity for air conditioning. At least the sun wasn't beating on her head anymore. She set about rummaging through some cabinets in search of some lunch.

"Hope! Look!" Carl exclaimed from somewhere behind her.

Hope banged her head on the roof of the cabinet as she tried to see what Carl was yelling about. Rubbing the back of her head Hope turned and gasped. Hershel was walking, with crutches of course, but he was walking nonetheless. Hope put a hand over her mouth. "Hershel!"

"It's good to see you too."

"I can't believe you're actually doing this."

"What other option do I have?"

Hope smiled at that, he did have a point. "I suppose you're right." Hope cleared her throat. "I don't want you to strain yourself, if you're feeling winded or tired I want you to sit down immediately and rest. No exceptions."

"Doctor's orders?" Hershel was almost at the door now, Lori, Beth and Carl following him with open hands waiting to catch him in case he fell.

"Doctor's orders."

Hershel turned slightly and gave her a quick salute before marching through the door and into the open air.

Hope shook her head and went back to looking for lunch. Hope frowned at her findings. They really were going to have to make a supply run soon. Three candy bars and a stale bag of chips wasn't really much for lunch and she didn't want to dip into the main food supply. Hopefully, it would be enough to tide everyone over until dinner.

Hope jumped when she heard a clang in the cell block. Cautiously, she lifted up her shirt and pulled her knife from the makeshift sheath Daryl had made for her some months back. Everyone was outside, which meant that someone had broken in. Whether they were dead or alive was the question. As quietly as possible Hope moved towards the spot where she heard the sound, when she was within a few feet of it she heard the telltale rasping that could only be from a walker. By the sound of it he must've been drawn by the scent of blood in Hershel's cell. Hope tip-toed behind the walker and drew back her knife. Before she could bring it crashing down on the walker's skull, the walker turned and charged her. Caught off guard Hope fell and knife clattered to the floor and skidded outside of her peripheral vision. The walker was now on top of Hope clawing desperately at her. Hope Held him off as best she could. She kept her hands on his shoulders and pushed with all her might. The walker was a few inches from her face, biting the air as he tried to connect with her flesh.

"Help!" Hope screamed on the off chance that someone might hear her and come running. Hope looked around wildly for her knife and her heart sank when she saw it was so far out of her reach. Not that it would have done much good anyway; it was taking all of her strength to keep the walker from chewing her face off.

Hope cried out as her arms started to shake. She was losing ground and she could see the walker getting closer and closer to her face. "Daryl! Help me!"


End file.
